Gas-meter mechanism



May 17, 1927. 1,629,031

w. A. GAUGH GAS METER MECHANISM Filed Oct. 28. 1924 FIG. I

1 My .present invention relates to a stop device dental conditions,

mally Fatented May 17, 1927;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILFORD A. GAUGH, F ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN METER COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATOIN OF DELAWARE.

GAS-METER MECHANISM.

Application filed. October 28, 1924. Serial No. 746,345.

My invention relates to meters arranged to be operated by the pressure of gas to rotate the driving shaft of a dial registering mechanism. Ordinarily, the pressure of gas at the inlet of the meter is greater than the pressure ofgas at the outlet. However, changes in temperature and other conditions sometimes raise thepressure of gas at the meter outlet higher than at said inlet which, of course, tends to reverse mechanism and run the dial mechanism backwardly and thus reduce the previous registration of gas consumed. Moreover, unless means are provided 'to prevent or limit such reverse movement; the consumer may intentionally reduce the registration by re' versing the connections of the meter and running it backwardly. It has been found in practice that if the meter is provided with means to positively preventv any reverse movement thereof the mechanism is liable to be broken at the weakest portion thereof by the strains incident totthe reversal of pressure which may be occasioned by accias above contemplated. Therefore, it has been found necessary to provide such meters with means for permitting reverse movement of the meter mechanism to a limited extent suflicient to relieve the abnormal accidental reverse pressure.

for limiting such reverse movement.

'As hereinafter described, my invention includes two levers constructed and arranged tobe formed of pres ed sheet metal with their fulcrums in coaxial relation; one of said levers being a stop lever which is normally in inoperative position, and the other of said levers being a trip lever which norprojects in the path of the radial tangent arm of the meter crank mechanism so as to be idly tripped by the latter at each revolution thereof without movementof said stop lever but arranged to be tilted in the reverse direction by the reverse rotation of said tangent arm incident .to the reverse'move ment ofthe meterniechanism, to then engage and set up the stop lever in position to stop the reverse rotation of the tangent arm and the meter mechanism connected therewith after more than one complete reverse revolution of said tangent arm. V,

My invention includes the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

the operation of the meter In said drawings; Fig. 1 is a plan View of a meter with the top wall thereof removed to show a plan view of a convenient embodiment of my invention.

7 Fig. 11 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of said meter, taken on the line 11,11 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 111 is an elevation of the right hand side of my improved stop mechanism as shown in Figs. 1 and 11; the trip lever and stoplever being in the normal position.

Fig. 1V is an elevation of said stop mechanism, similar to Fig. 111, but showing the trip lever being idly tripped by the normal movement of the tangent arm in the direction of the arrow marked thereon.

F V is an elevation of said stop mechanism similar to Fig. 1V, but showing the'trip lever being tripped by reverse movement of said tangent arm, indicated by the arrow marked thereon, to set up the stop lever to its operative position.

Fig. V1 is an'elevation of said stopmechanism, similar to Fig. V, but showing the stop lever in position to prevent further reverse movement of the tangent arm in the direction of the arrow marked thereon.

Fig. V11 is a side elevation of said stop lever, detached.

Fig. V111 is a plan view of said stop lever, detached. I

Fig. 1X is a plan view of the trip flever, detached.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 11; the meter casing 1 is provided with the inlet 2 and'the outlet '3 communicating with the bellows chambers 4 and 5 beneath the horizontal par tition 6 which is permanently secured in said meter casing 1 and forms the floor e'fthe crank compartment 8 which contains the adjustable registering mechanism hereinafter described. 'The valve compartment 9 is formed within said crank compartment 8 by the sheet metal walls 10 which are permanently secured'in said casing. The gas inlet 2 is in communication with the conduit 12 which is permanently connected with said partition 6 and directs the incomin gas into said valve compartment 9 from wdiich it is distributed alternately to the bellows .in the respectivechambers l and 5 through ports controlled by suitable valves respectively 7 operated by links 14 and 15 which are operfull Said crank shaft 17 is journaled in the bracket 18 which is rigidly connected with the upper wall of compartment 9, and said shaft 17 extends through the-stuffing box 20 which is supported by said wall 10 and prevents escape of gas from said valve compartment 9 into said compartment 8.

The rock shafts and 24. are adapted to be rocked by the movement of the bellows in said chambers aland 5 which are alternately expanded and collapsed by the pressure of gas inside and outside of said bellows. Said rock shafts 23 and 24. have respective lever arms 25 and 26 rigidly connected therewith, in such relation that the rocking movement of said shafts 23 and 2 1 under the operation of said bellows, causes said arms to oscillate from one extreme position to the other, respectively indicated by dash and dot lines and dash lines in F I. Said rock lever arms 25 and 26 are respectively pivotally connected to links 27 and 28 which are both pivotally connected to the crank stud 30 shown in Figs. I and II. Said stud is mounted upon the crank tangent arm 31 which is flattened at its upper and lower surfaces, so that said stud cannot turn thereon, but said arm is screw threaded at its opposite edges to. engage the nuts 3% and 35 upon respectively radially opposite sides of said stud 30 sothat the latter may be adjusted toward and away from the axis of said crank shaft 17.

It is the object and effect of said bellows lever and link mechanism to rotate said crank Shaft 17 in definite relation to the volume; of gas dispensed through the meter, and effect registration thereof,

Said crank shaft. 17 carries and drives the worm 3'? which engages the worm gear 38 on the register shaft- 39. Said shaft 39 is journaled in the stationary bracket 40 and in the frame 4:1; and the latter encloses the ordi nary registering mechanism comprising a train of gears of ordinary construction and which is so arranged as to rotate a series of radial index pointers 1-2, 43, etc., in conjunction with dials upon the plate 15, to indicate thevolume of gas dispensed.

It is intended that said shaft 39 shall rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow marked thereon in Fig. I, and the object. of my improved stop mechanism is to prevent its reverse rotation except to the limited extent above contemplated. For that purpose, I provide said bracket 18 with two slots 47 and 4-8, in parallel relation near the outer end thereof, and extend a single fulcrum pin 50;, in said bracket, across said slots, in substantial ly radial relation. to the axis of said crank shaft 17. The trip lever 51 is hung on said fulcrum pin 50 in the slot- 48, which is most remote from the axis of said crank shaft, and it is overbalanced'by its heavier mass then to the right of and below its fulever, said trip lever 51 is normally upheld by the stop lever 53 then in the prone position shown in Fig. III. Said trip lever. is thus normally arranged to be idly tilted by said crank arm 31 at each revolution of said crank shaft 1?, from the position shown in Fig. III to the position shown in Fig. IV. The stop lever 53 is hung on the same fulcrum pin 50, incoaxial relation with said trip lever 51, but in the other of said slots, to wit, the slot at? and, as shown in Figs. III, IV and VII, said stop lever 53 is normally overbalanced by its heavier arm 54, so as to lie upon the top, of said bracket 18 out of the path of said crank arm 3.1. However, said stop lever 53has the lateral projection extending transversely across the path of said trip lever 51; which thus normally upholds said triplever 51 in the position shown in Fig. III, against the aforesaid gravitative tendency of said lever 51 to turn to the position shown in Fig. VI; so that said trip lever 51 is enabled to pick up said step lever when tilted in the. reverse direction, as indicated, in Fig, V, by reverse rotation of said crank arm 31 incident to the reverse movement of the meter mechanism. lVhen' thus set up, as in Fig. V, the arm 5% of said stop lever is not only overbalanced by the mass. of said lever 53 to the right of its fulcrum .in Fig. VI, but is further render-ed temporarily stable in the abnormal position shown in Fig. I] I, by'the weight. of said lever 51 to the right of said fulcrum, which is imposed upon said lever 53 by contact of the arm 52- of said lever 51 with said projection on said lever 53, so that the arm 54: of the latter being thus erected from its normal position shown in F ig. III tothe abnormal position shown in Fig. VI is in position to stop the reverse rotation of saidcrank arm 31 and the meter mechanism connected therewith, after slightly more than twov complete.

reverse revolutions of said crank armybecause said stop lever is then prevented from tilting in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. VI, by its projection 55 encountering the under part of said bracket 18.

Upon resumption ofthe normal condition of the meter and consequent rotation of the tangent crank arm 31 in the direction of the arrow marked thereon in Fig. I said stop lever 53 is encountered by the crank arm 31, on the opposite side to, that indicated in Fig. VI, and thus returned to its normal position shown in. Fig. III. Of course, such reverse movement of the stop lever causes, the latter to pick up the trip lever 51 by engagement of the stop lever projection therewith, to thus restore said trip lever to its normal position shown in Fig. III. In other words; it is characteristic of my stop device that said stop lever and trip lever have freedom of movement with respect to each other to a limited extent, in respectively opposite directions; so that when said trip lever is tilted in the normal direction, it is movable independently of the stop lever but picks up and moves the latter when said trip lever is moved in the reverse direction and, vice versa, said stop lever, when moved to its normal position, picks up said trip lever but, when moved in the opposite direction,

is movable independently of said trip lever.

The mechanism above described operates as follows; Said meter being connected by its inlet 2 and outlet 3 with a piping system through which gas is to be dispensed; said mechanism remains stationary until a gas vent is afforded in communication with said outlet 3. Thereupon, the gas flows through the meter and is alternately admitted to and expelled from thetwo bellows in the respective chambers 4 and 5, with the result that said crank shaft 17 is-continuously rotated in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. I to operate the registering mechanism by the register shaft 39 and, incidentally, to operate the valve mechanism which controls the passage of gas to and from said bellows chambers 4 and 5 and to and from the interior of the respective bellows in said chamhers; the arrangement being such that there is no dead center, as the mechanism is always adapted to instantly start again upon resumption of the flow of gas through the meter. During such normal operation of the meter mechanism, at each revolution of the crank shaft 17 'the trip lever 51 is idly tilted from its normal position shown in Fig. III to the position shown in Fig. IV, without movement of said'stop lever 53. However, if there is no flow of gasithrough the meter, an increase in temperature of the gas in the piping'system connected with themeter outlet 3 may increase the pressure of the'gas on that side of the meter higher than on the inlet side; with consequent reversal ofoperatron of the bellows and the crank mechanism connected therewith, as above described.

However, my stop mechanism permits such reverse movement, without stress upon the meter mechanism, to the extent of more than two revolutions, 1. e., from the lJOSltlOl] of the tangent crank arm 31 shown in Fig. IV

to the position of said crank arm shown 1n Fig. VI; the first reverse revolution merely serving to set up the stop lever to the position shown in Fig. V, in readiness to stop said crank arm 31 when, following thenext reversev revolution thereof, it reaches the position shown in Fig; VI.

It is characteristic of the form of my in vention above described that each of the stop device levers 51 and 53 is heavier at one end than at the other, so that it is maintained in a predetermined position merely by its own weight, unless and until positively moved from that position. Moreover, it may be observed that the stop lever 53 is thus so formed that if the meter be turned up side down to reversely operate its mechanism to reduce the registration, (as may be done with some meters of the prior art) said stop lever 53 automatically gravitates into the position where it is effective to stop such reverse 1'o-' tation, without regard to the movement of the trip lever 51.

It may be observed that each of said levers 51 and 53 may be formed of a sheet metal stamping and, of course, it is immaterial which of them is provided with a transversely extending member to engage the other. The construction and arrangement of said levers so that they may be hung upon. a single fulcrum element is advantageous in that a plurality of other parts heretofore considered necessary, are rendered unnecessary, and my device requires less material and is, consequently, not only less costly to manufacture, buteasier to assemble, and each of said factors is of considerable commercial importance and value in the quantity production of such meters.

Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: 1

1. In a gas meter, the combination with a casing; of'a crank shaft in said casing arranged to be operated by a flow of gas through the meter; a crank arm rigidly connected with the top of said crank shaft; a bracket in saidcasing, having a bearing encircling said crank shaft; said bracket having two slots in it, in parallel relation respectively tangential to circles of different radii and concentricwith the axis of said shaft; a single fulcrum pin extending in said bracket across said slots, a trip lever hungon said pin in the slot of said bracket most remote from the axis of said crank shaft, and normally presented in the path of said crank arm, and arranged to be idly tilted by said crank arm at each revolution of said crankshaft in one directionra stop lever, hung on said fulcrum pin. in the other of said slots in coaxial relation with said trip lever and normally out of the path of said crank arm; said stop lever having a lateral projection extending transversely across the path of said trip lever; said trip lever being arranged to be tilted-in the reverse direction by reverse rotation of said crank arm incident to the reverse movement of the meter mechanism to then engage said projection on said stop lever and set up the stop lever in position to stop the reverse rotation of said crank arm and the meter mechanism connected therewith, after more than one complete reverse revolution of said crank arm.

2. In a gas meter, the combination with a casing; of a crank shaft in said casing arranged to be operated by a flow of gas through the meter; a crank arm rigidly connected with said crank shaft; a bracket in said casing, having a bearing encircling said crank shaft; said bracket having two slots in it, respectively tangential to circles of different radii and concentric with the axis of said shaft; a single fulcrum pin extending in said bracket across said slots; a -rip lever hung on said pin in the slot of said bracket most remote from the axis of said crank shaft, and normally presented in the ath of said crank arm, and arranger tobe idly tilted by said crank arm at each revolution of said crank shaft, in one direction; a stop lever, hung on said fulcrum pin in the other of said slots in coaxial relation with said trip lever and normally out of the path of said crank arm; said stop lever having a projection extending in the path of said trip lever; said trip lever being arranged to be tilted in the reverse direction by reverse rotation of st id crank arm incident to the reverse movement of the meter mechanism to then engage said projection on said stop lever and set up the stop lever in position to stop the reverse rotation of said crank arm and the meter mechanism connected therewith.

8; In a gas meter, the combination with casing; of a crank shaft in said casing arranged to be operated by a flow of through the deter; a crank arm on said crank shaft; bracket in said casing, having a bearing encircling said crank shaft, a single fulcrum pin in d bracket: trio lever hung on said pin and normally presented in the path of said crank arm, and, arranged to be idly tilted by said crank arm at each revolution of said crank shaft, in one direction; a stop leve hung on said fulcrum pin in coaxial re trip lever and normally out of the path of said crank arm; said stop lever h 'no a portion extending in the path 0' V lever; said trip lever being arranged to be tilted in the reverse direction ,by reverse rotation of said crank arm incident to the reverse movement of the meter me n to then engage said stop lever and e it in position to stop the reverse rotation of said crank arm and the meter mechanism con nected therewith. 1

4.111 a gas meter,- the combination with Mien with said a casing; of a crank shaft in said casing arranged to be operated by a flow of gas through the meter; an arm on said shaft; a trip lever fulcrumed on an axis transverse to the axis of said shaft and normally presented in the path of said arm, and arranged to be idly tilted by said arm at each revolution of said crank shaft; a stop lever, fulcrumed in coaxial relation with said triplever and normally outof the path of said crank arm; a single fulcrum member common to both of said levers; means on one of said levers projecting in the path of theother of said levers, whereby movement of said trip lever in one direction may effect movement of said stop lever; said trip lever" meter, the combinationwith a l. 'o h the u er; an arm said shaft; a trip lever fulcrumed on an axis transverse to the of said shaft and normally pre-- scnte'; in the path of said arm, and ar- 'Giil to be idly tilted by said arm at each lntion of said crank shaft; a stop lever,

lever and normally out of the path of said crank arm; a single fulcrum member common to both of said levers;'mea.ns on one of said. levers projecting in the path of the other of said levers, whereby movement of said trip lever in one direction may effect movement of said stop lever; said trip lever be ing constructed and arranged to be tilted in the reversedirection by reverse rotation of said crank arm incident to the reverse move ment of the meter mechanism to then ensa-id projecting means and move the stop lever into position to stop the reverse rotation of said arm and the meter mechanism connected therewith.

V 6. In a gas meter, the combination with a rotary element arranged to be operated by a flow of gas through the ineter;'of means arranged to limit reverse rotation of said member, including two levers tiltable in planes tangential to the circular path of said rotary element and having a common ful crum and so constructed and arranged that one of said levers is always presented in the path of rotation of said member; one of said levers having a portion projecting in the path of the'other lever, whereby movement of one of said levers in one direction may of a crank shaft in said. casing arto be operated by a flow of gas rumed in coaxial relation with said trip effect movement of the other lever, in the same direction, by engagement of said projecting portion.

7. In a gas meter, the combination with a rotary element arranged to be operated by a flow of gas through the meter; of means arranged to limit reverse rotation of said member, including a trip lever and another lever having a common fulcrui'n; means on one of said levers projecting in the path of the other of said levers, whereby IDOVQHIGHt of said trip lever in one direction may effect movement of said stop lever; said levers having freedom of movement in relation to each other in respectively opposite directions; each lever being movable in one direction by said rotary element to pick up the other lever and present it in the path of said rotary element; each of said levers be- ;ing heavier at one end than at the other;

whereby each lever gravitates to a predetermined position when released by the other lever. r

8. In a gas meter, the combination with a rotary element arranged to be operated by a flow of gas through the meter; of means arranged to limit reverse rotation of said member, including a trip lever and another lever having a common fulcrum; means on one of said levers projecting in the'path of the other of said levers, whereby movement of said trip lever in one direction may eifect movement of said stop lever; said levers having freedom of movement in relation to each other in respectively opposite directions; each lever being movable in one direction by said rotary element to pick up the other lever and present it in the path of said rotary element.

9. In a gas meter, the combination with a casing; of a crank shaft in said casing arranged to be operated by a flow of gas through the meter; a crank arm on said crank shaft; a fulcrum pin; a stop lever so fulcrumed on said pin that it is normally overbalanced out of the path of said crank arm, by its own weight; a trip lever so fulcrumed on said pin that it is normally overbalanced, by its own weight, to present it in the path of said crank arm, but free to be idly tilted by said crank arm, at each rotation of the latter in the normal direction; one of said levers having a projection extending in the path of the other of said levers, soconstructed and arranged that when the motion of said crank arm is reversed and said trip lever encountered, tilting movement of said trip lever thus effected, sets up the'stop lever in abnormal position and stably maintains it in such position to stop the next revolution of said crank arm.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Erie, Pennsylvania, this 21st day of October, 1924.

WILFORD A. GAUGH. 

